Building insulation



'NOW 23, 1943 G. E. EDWARDS BUILDING INSULATION Filed April 21, 1941Gle/F7077# E Eon/Meca BY Y ' Patented Nov. 23, 1943 i UNITED .STATESPATENT ori-lcs BUILDING INSULATION Grimm E. Edwards, Whiteman Bay, wis.,

assignor to Walter M. Ericson, Milwaukee, Wis. @puatron April zi, 1941,serieu No. 389,544

zo claims. (ci. 154-44) spacing: and particularly the provision oi a bat'I'his invention relates building insulation.

It is the primary object oi.' the invention to provide a novel andimproved form-sustaining to improvements in bat which is readilyhandled, which provides a' tight seal between the studs irrespective ofminor deviations from standard ,spacing and which, notwithstandingtheuse of stitching for holding the bat in shape, maintains a vapor-tightseal which is substantially continuous throughout the entire surfaceinsulated. u

With respect to handling, `it is desirable that the bat should have avcompression t between.

the studs and consequently lateral compressibility is desired; yet it isdesirable that the bat should be so rigid or stift in a longitudinaldirection that it can readily be lifted and manipulated without foldingor collapsing. The combination of longitudinal stiffness with lateralcompressibility is an important objective of the present inventionachieved by a. longitudinal trussing eiiect produced by the constructionhereinafter to be de- I prefer to maintain the form of the bat by rowsof stitching extending longitudinally thereof and traversing not onlythe bat but the plies of paper board above and below the bat, and it Ybonding agent in the ber. In this connection is an object to so form thepaper board as to preserve lateral compressibility of the product while.at the same time providing the necessary vapor seal and assuringlongitudinal stiffness.

More specically stated, other objects ci the invention are: theprovision of an insulating bat having aditlerential in stillness asVbetween its mounting face and its inner face, the mounting face beingthe more Vrigid whereby the mounting faces -of successive bats may beoverlapped to provide a continuous seal. the inner i'acesof therespective bats being suiliciently collapsible to permit .of an 'overlapof the outer face despite the fact that theinner and outeriaces areinitially of the same dimensions; the provision of a bat of wedge-shapedform which is deformable to provide a close t betweenstuds which areeither at insuicient spacing or at excessive in which the mechanicalstitching of the insulation bat is accomplished independently of. and

vprotected by, an vimpervious unstitched vaportioned, and stili otherobjects will be apparent from thel specication. Inthe drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary ,view in perspective showing building insulationembodying my invention.

Fig. Bis an enlarged detailwiewiin section through an insulating batembodying the invention. i

modified embodiment oi the invention;

Fig.`4 is a fragmentary detail view injvertical' section showing themanner in which successive bats are overlapped in sealed relation. Likeparts are identied by the same reference characters throughout theseveral views.

'I'he studding 5 and the sheathing 6 are conventional, the studs usuallybeing approximately spaced on predetermined centers. However, the

studs are sometimes slightly greater or less than standard distancesbetween studs.

The bat properV 1, is preferably brous but Aa f wide variety, 0iinsulating material may be used. For example, the bat I may consist ofrock wool,

glass ber, asbestos, small paper akes, wood ber, hair, or cane ber, etc.I have use'd to advantage a homogeneous mixture of bers havingresilience as well as cohesion, short y ber of wood or bark being mixedwith asbestos or the like and later having long bers of wood,

Y -`.bark, cotton. hair, or other material introduced into the mixtureto provide resilience, while re- -taining the cohesion.

Preferably, I use a shredded redwood bark ber either in its naturalstain (in which it is highly lire resistant) or with a reproong coatingadded. Since the invention as herein set forth is vindependentof theparticular materials used,

it will be Aunderstood that the materials vabove specified are merelyillustrative.

The bat 'I is conned between a cover ply l and a enamel DI! whichcomprises a back 9. out-- wardly converging sides l0. and lateral angessi; tnegcover ply va and .bacs s being united Fig. 3 is a view similarto Fig. 2 showinga through the bat by longitudinal rows of stitching atI2. The face ply 8 and the channel ply comprising the back 9, sides III,and flanges II, preferably comprise strong paper such as mailt paper,and I prefer to use about four rows of stitching I2 lengthwiseof thestandard bat.

The stitching is incorporated under sumcient tension yto compress thebat slightly along the lines of-stitching. The rows of stitching dividethe channel and cover ply S into a. series of pockets extendinglongitudinally of the device. Within these pockets the brous material ofthe bat is free for expansion and compression with its naturalresilience virtually unimpeded. The back wall 9 of the channel willpreferably bulge slightly between the side walls lil and between thesuccessive rows of stitching at I2, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2, andthis bulging will be somewhat accentuated when the device is deformedfor insertion between studs inthe manner shown in. Fig. 1, The slightinitial bulging facilitates the lateral compression of the product.

The flanges I I and the cover ply 8 are substantially in the same planeand are reinforced by an additional ply or plies constituting facing ormountingV web and providing a vapor seal. These may constitute sheets iland it of kraft paper and an intervening ply of asphaltum as indicatedat I9 in Fig. 2, o r, alternatively, I may employ a single ply EE ofkraft paper and a. thin coat of asphaltum (or aluminum foil, or plasticvarnish, or other impervious material) at 20 as shown in Fig. 3, theimpervious coat being protected within y the outer ply I8 of paper.Regardless of whether the facing or mounting and vapor sealing plies aremade in accordance with the disclosure ofA Fig. 2 lor the `disclosure ofFig. 3, they are in either case treated with ribbons of plasticadhesive. preferably'of a waterproof nature, such as hot asphaltum, suchribbons being applied at apanage 8 and 8 and to prevent any tearingorslippingof the threads. The bonding cementitious ribbons I5 and I6 arepreferably carefully metered as to thickness to be of uniform thicknessthroughout so that the resulting product will be smooth and free oreccentric bulging and will be of uniform exibility.

Asphaltum is an ideal adhesive for the pur-l poses of the presentinvention since it is thermoplastic and may readily be conditioned forappli- -cation in relatively thick ribbons to provide the l5 over eachange II and at I6 over each row of stitching I2 lso that when the vaporseal ply or plies are assembled onto the batand channel the bat will beencased Vin a strong envelope from the back of .which vapor may escapebut the front or mounting face of which will be substantially imperviousto vapor.. The ribbons of hot asphaltum could be applied directly .tothe flanges II and the cover ply 8, but -inaccordance witha methodapplication hereinafter to be filed, I have found it advantageous toapply the asphaltum in the first instance to the facing or mounting webat such intervals as to cverlie the areas to which adhesion of themounting web is desired.

I have found that the combination of the mounting web and the cover ply8 and the chan- 'mote from such flanges. y

the i width of the channel is preferably slightly nel flanges II, withintervening ribbons of asphaltum has a truss-like action contributing:materially to the desired longitudinal stiffness, while permitting, dueto the space between such ribbons, the desired lateral compressibility.

The ply I8, together with plies I1 and I9, or 20, as the case may be,are bonded by the adhesive ribbons I6 to `the cover plv 8 ofthe bat andlalso to the flanges Il of the channel withindesired truss effect inconjunction with the rows oi stitching. After application, the adhesivebecomes fairly rigid without being so rigid as to crack. In actualpractice the asphaltum is subjected to very little bending. vThe productis relatively stiif in a longitudinal direction, requiring no bendinglongitudinally in normal application. Such yielding as is involved inthe lateral compressibility is accommodated by the deformation of batmaterial which lies in the pockets between the stitching and between therows of asphaltum.

The particular method and apparatus employed in the manufacture of theproduct are not petinent to the present invention. While I have referredabove to the fact that the asphaltum is preferably applied initially tothe sealing ply or plies, it will be understood that so far as thepresent invention is concerned it might be applied in ribbons to theange II and the cover ply 8. In practice the web of paper providing thechannel is formed and lled with the bat in a continuous operation, inthe course of which the cover ply 8 is applied over the bat and thestitching is done.

as the assembled bat, channeLa'n'd cover ply advence in the course ofsuch operation, the sealing ply or plies are treated with ribbons of hotas-.i

phaltum which remains plastic until bonded to the flanges of the channelandthe cover ply of the bat.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 the thin coat of asphaltum, aluminumfoil or other impervious material is preferably applied by means of aroller to the web I8 under`pressure, and

thereafter the bonding ribbons are applied thereoiu at I5 and I6,preferably in a separate operat on.

The channeled web within which the bat is confined is of such form, dueto the convergence of its sides ill toward its flanged margins, that thechannel is relatively narrower adjacent the anges il and is relativelywide at the rear, re-

Adjacent flanges II less than the conventional distance between studs 5.whereas at the rear of the channel the rear wall ply 9 is slightlygreater than the conventional distance between studs.

To further enhance the truss effect and therey by contribute tolongitudinal stiffness. the rear ply 9 is reinforced by a ply 2l whichis preferably made of kraft paper bonded to the channel back ply 9 bymeans of strips or ribbons of adhesive 22 which, like the similaradhesive ribbon I6, may

simply comprise layers of asphaltu-in. It is not essential to theinvention that a vapor seal be provided at the rear face of the batsince the vapor seal provided at the front face is substantiallyimpenetrable to vapor'. The adhesive ribbons 22 anchor the threads usedto provide the stitching at I2, as well as holding the reinforcing ply2I- in place. The reinforcing ply is preferably of materially less widththan the rear ply 9 so as The fact that the bat, at its rear face, is materially wider than the conventional space be- 3 extending between thesides of the channel across said bat, 'stitching extending through thecover Ply, the bat, and the bottom of the channel, a

' mounting web spanning the cover ply and channel, flange meansprojecting laterally from the channel and connected to the mounting weband channel, and a waterproof adhesive covering said lstitching andjoining said mounting web and II, ensures against any buckling of thebat when the flanges Il are tacked or staple'd to the studs,

even though the studs may-be somewhat closer.

together than is standard. It is important that the greatest width ofthe wedge-shaped structure isremote from the mounting flanges. If itwere directly at the mounting iianges it couldnot yield appreciablywithout serious buckling of the webs. Being remote from the mountingflanges it can yield despite the fact that the flanges are stretchedunder tension by the operator in the course of their application tothe istuds.

Due to the multiple plies at the front of the hat, and particularly tothe vapor-prooiing comprising either the continuous asphaltum layerA atil or the aluminum foil or asphaltum layer at 20, the front of the batwill have a l considerably greater resistance to distortion than therear of the bat. This diierential in resistance to distortion is ofadvantage in the assembly of a plurality of consecutive bats in a singlestud or joist space. Instead of merely abutting the ends of theconsecutive hats, the end of one or both of the bats including theinsulation l, the side walls I0,

therear ply 8, and the rear reinforcingply 2L may be slightly crumpledto an extent suillcientso that the insulation bats will be united underpressure while the several plies comprising the mounting webV andincluding the anges il and the plies il', i 8 and I9, will overlap asshown in Fig. 4, the face plies being substantially uncrumpled and ilatinA perfect face contact to provide'a continuous vapor seal between thestuds,

while the insulation bats provide a substantially stantial rigidity,still retaining, however, lateral compressibility and requiring somepressure for the positioning of the bat between studs, thus assuring afirm and adequate contact and a satisfactory hermetic and vapor seal, aswell as thermal insulation.

I claim: Y

1. Building insulation comprising a bat and an enclosure for said batincluding a channel and a mounting web, the channel having lateralilanges amxed to said mounting web `and having sides converging-towardeach other in the direcnel having an outer web materially greater inwidth than the portion of the mounting web intervening between saidsides.

2. Thermal insulating comprising a bat of insulating material, a channelhaving a bottom and sidesbetween which said bat is disposed, the sidesof the channel being convergent toward each einer away from said bottom,a cover ply tion o! said mounting web and ilanges, said chancover ply.l

3. Thermal insulation comprising the combinan-l tion with a. channelprovidedV with a relatively broad base and side walls converging towardeach other away from the base, of a hat of thermal insulation withinsaid channel between said walls, a cover plyy at least substantiallyspanning said bat adjacent thoseportions of said walls which areclosest, flange means projecting laterally from said wall portionsforpositioning the insulation upon and between building studs, rows ofstitching through the coverl ply, the bat, and the base of the channel,adhesive means providing a vapor seal substantially continuously oversaid rows of stitching, a facing web to which said ilanges areconnected, and an extension of such adhesive between the facing web andthe cover ply.

4. A thermal insulation device` comprising an elongated bat of brouscompressible insulating material, a channel having a base portion andsides converging toward yeach other away from said base portion,stitching connecting the Vbat to the channel, and a facing memberhaving,-

materially greater body than said channel and provided substantiallycontinuously with a vapor sealing vmoisture-prooi. material spanningsaid bat and channel and covering said stitching and connected with theconvergent side portions of said channel along lines remote from thebase thereof, whereby said bat is completely enclosed saveat its ends,the end portion of the channel being compressible more readily than saidfacing member whereby to permit the facing members of longitudinallysuccessive devices to be overlapped when the ends of the channels ofsuchdevices are compressed into abutment.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the marginal portions of the convergentsides of the channel are flanged outwardly and said facing member isextended over the outwardly ilanged portions aforesaid and adhesivelyjoined thereto.

6. An insulation device comprising the combination with a relativelyheavy mounting member having margins so spaced as to be adapted to besecured to the studs of a standard building structure, of an insulatingbody carried by said mounting member between its margins and comprisinga face remote from said member and sides divergent away from saidmounting member, flanges Aon said sides, and means connecting said sideflanges in general parallelism to said mounting member, the said facebeing materially wider than the portion of said mounting memberintervening between said sides and the divergence of said sides beingsuch that said sides at points remote from said mounting member are morewidely separated than the normal distance between studs, while adjacentsaid mounting member said sides are at least as narrowly spaced as thenormal distance between studs.

7. The ,device of claim 6 wherein the said body is provided with a spacebetween its sides and a hat of insulating material lls such space, androws of securing stitching pass through said bat and portions o f saidbody, said rows of stitching being covered with water-resistant materialin.

'iihesive connection with said mounting member.

.at angine deviceoficlaim 6V wherein a cover webv lies adiacentlsaidmounting member; a bat of DSUlating materialfills the space between thecover web, the-sides,-.and the meansV connecting said'sides; stitchingextends throughsaid cover.

web .and bat and means, and an adhesive material bondsv said coverwebto. said member and provides a vapor seal for the bat and said rowsof stitching. Y f Y 49.4i. thermal insulating device comprising thecombination of? means providing an elongated.

sheath penetrated by said stitching, whereby toassenso providetruss-like reinforcement longitudinaliy of said sheath while permittingsaid sheath to he compressed in a lateral direction between said rows ofstitching and ribbons of adhesive.

10. .An insulating device comprising the combination with an elongated.bat oi insulating material; of a sheath therefor comprising a channelhaving sides lengaging the sides of the bat, a back engaging the back ofthe bat and flanges connected with said sides and projecting laterallyfrom the face lof the bat, a cover ply spanning the bat between thesides and anges oi' the channel; stitching extending in longitudinalrows throughthe cover ply, the bat, and the bach of the channel, the batbeing conned between the rows of stitching and the channel in wicketswherein the bat retains substantially full natural resilience, amountingweb overlying the anges Y and the cover ply, and means adhesivelyjoining the mounting web to the flanges and cover ply,

said means. including longitudinal ribbons oi adhesive overlying therows of stitching and sealing the stitching while providingreinforcement longitudinally of said device.

l1. An insulating device comprising the combination with a bath, of anelongated sheath enclosing the bath and comprising a channel having aback, sides, and lateral flanges projecting from said sides, and a coverply spanning the bat between said sides and flanges, stitching in rows Ylongitudinally of the bath and the channel tra- 12. 'I'he device ofclaim 11 wherein the back of` the channel is provided with a backing plyhaving side margins well within the sides oi the channel, said backingply being connected to and spaced from the back oi the channel byintervening ribbons of adhesive 'overlying the rows of stitching and`constituting means contributing to the longitudinal sti'ness of thedevice.

. 13. An insulation device comprising the comspaced therefrom, and sideportions extending from said back portion to said mounting web andconnected therewith, a bat of insulating material within said channeland spanned by said vapor seal ply, a cover. ply spanning said channelacross said batfstitching through the cover ply, the bat andthe back ofthe channel, and vapor sealing means covering said stitching. A

14. A thermal insulation device comprising a multiple ply backingwebinc'luding a plurality of plies of sheet material and an interveningand substantially `co-extensive vapor seal ply, together with a channelhaving a base portion tions extending from said base portion toward saidmounting web and having 'marginal anges bonded to the inner sheetmaterial ply of said mounting web', an insulating bat within saidchannel between the sides thereoha cover ply spanning said channelbetween said flanges, stitching through the cover ply oi--the bath andthe base portion of said channel, and vaporseal means covering thestitching and bonding the cover ply to the inner sheet material piy ofsaid mounting web. Y

15.-I'hermai insulation comprising an elongated 'oat ofiibrous'insulating material having substantially parallel faces andsides converging toward one oi said faces, of a cover ply against thelast mentioned face of said bat, a channel including a base and sideportions embracing the other face and the sides of said bat, saidchannel including marginal ange portions projecting Alaterally from saidcover ply, stitching through f the cover ply of the bat and thebaseportion oiv the channel, a layer of adhesive vapor-sealing materialspanning portions of said flanges said cover ply and said stitching, anda mounting web bonded by said material to said anges and said cover ply.16. Thermal Vinsulation comprising the combination with an elongated bathaving faces and sides, o enclosing means including wall portionsdisposed about said faces and sides, stitching extending through atleast one of said wall portions and said hat and comprising means forpositioning the material of saidl bat, a mounting web adhesively joinedto said enclosure means and projecting laterally at each side of one ofthe faces oi said bat and including a vapor seal extending'substantially unbroken across said face, and additional vapor sealingmaterial covering and bonded to Said stitching.

17. Thermal insulation comprisingV an elongated bat of insulatingmaterial having opposing larger and smaller faces and sides convergingtoward the smaller face, a protective channel about the larger face andsaid converging sides and having lateral anges adjacent the smaller faceof the bat, a cover ply abutting said smaller face,

stitching through the cover ply, the bat, and the' channel, and amounting web bonded to said ilange and cover plyand provided with atleast one layer of vapor sealing material substantially continuousacross the hat.' and additional vapor sealing material over saidstitching.

.of the hat, stitching through the walls at the bination with a mounting-web including a vapor seal ply, Va channel having a back portionapproximately parallel to said mounting 'web and faces of the bat andthrough the intervening portion of the bat, vapor sealing adhesivematerial covering the stitching on both of said walls, and

sheet material covering said vapor sealing material and adhesivelyjoined thereby to the respective last mentioned walls, the sheetmaterial lyond the wall last mentioned and provided with V additionalthickness of vapor sealing material substantially continuous across saidbat 19. A device for the thermal insulation of buildings, comprising aninsulating bat, a sheath of elongated form in which said bat isdisposed, stitching extending through the sheath and the bat, vaporsealing means extending 'in ribbon form upon said sheath along saidstitching, and a mounting web comprising a ply of foil bonded to saidsheath by said vapor sealing means.

20. A device for the thermal insulation of buildings, comprising thecombination with a relatively rigid mounting web, of a sheath havingside wall portions connectedto said web and a back wall portion spacedfrom said web, and an insulating bat mounted within said sheath, theportion of said bat adjacent the back Wall portion of the sheath beingmaterially Wider than the portion of the bat adjacent the mounting weband the portions of said bat and sheath remote from said web beinglaterally compressible independently or said web.

GRIFFITH E. EDWARDS.

